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McKenzie's mistake cost the Wallabies

tippo new author
Roar Rookie
17th August, 2014
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Ewen McKenzie kept a tight ship when it came to Wallaby player behaviour. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)
tippo new author
Roar Rookie
17th August, 2014
29
1934 Reads

First of all, let me congratulate all the players from the Wallabies and All Blacks for their efforts on Saturday night. Unfortunately there is a hollow feeling at the end of it all.

The question I pose is whether Ewen McKenzie got his selections right? I don’t think he did.

We all talk about the value of combinations and how they increase the total skill set of each player, and indeed the team as a whole. I think McKenzie ignored the benefits of playing combinations last night.

His squad selection was pretty close to perfect, but I just feel he ignored the added bonus that he could have attained by putting players on the field in proven combinations.

If you look at the history of Super Rugby this year there is absolutely no argument that the combination of Nick Phipps, Bernard Foley, Kurtley Beale and Adam Ashley-Cooper was successful. They have a championship to prove it.

So why chose all these players in the squad and then play them not only out of position but also not in their proven combinations? There is no argument that Beale is capable of being a brilliant player, likewise all the other players mentioned, but why not play them together?

I do not understand what McKenzie could hope to achieve in breaking up a successful combination when all the players were chosen anyway.

The result of the game justifies my doubts. They played well, and they were the measure of the All Blacks, but they didn’t get over the line and didn’t get the desired result.

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I realise that we all benefit from the ability of hindsight, but why mess with proven combinations when all the components are there? Is this arrogance on behalf of McKenzie to defy proven results or just a mistake that he will correct next week?

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